The closest cenotes to Playa del Carmen are Chaak Tun, a cave cenote in town 6 km from the centre, and the Río Secreto underground river 8 km south. For open-air swimming, Cenote Azul, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén sit together about 25 km south on Highway 307, around 20 minutes by car or colectivo.
The closest cenotes to Playa del Carmen are Chaak Tun, a guided cave cenote on the north-west edge of town, and Río Secreto, an underground river park, 6 km and 8 km from the ADO terminal on Fifth Avenue. For open-air swimming, the best short trip is the cluster of Cenote Azul, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén, about 25 km south on Highway 307, around 20 minutes by car or a short colectivo ride.
Further out you have two choices: north to the Ruta de los Cenotes inland from Puerto Morelos, about 47 km, or south to the big cavern cenotes near Tulum, such as Dos Ojos, about 50 km.
| Cenote | Direction | Distance | Drive | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaak Tun | North-west edge of town | 6 km | 12 min | Cave, guided |
| Río Secreto | South-west | 8 km | 8 min | Underground river, guided |
| Cenote Cristalino | South, Hwy 307 | 24 km | 20 min | Open |
| Cenote Azul | South, Hwy 307 | 25 km | 20 min | Open |
| Jardín del Edén | South, Hwy 307 | 25 km | 23 min | Open |
| Siete Bocas | North, Ruta de los Cenotes | 47 km | 80 min | Semi-open |
| Verde Lucero | North, Ruta de los Cenotes | 47 km | 80 min | Open |
| Boca del Puma | North, Ruta de los Cenotes | 48 km | 80 min | Park with cenote |
| Dos Ojos | South, Hwy 307 | 50 km | 47 min | Cavern |
| Casa Tortuga | South, Hwy 307 | 52 km | 44 min | Park, 5 cenotes |
| Sac Actun | South, Hwy 307 | 53 km | 58 min | Cavern, guided |
| Casa Cenote | South, Tankah | 59 km | 48 min | Open mangrove channel |
Checked October 2026. Road distances and times from a routing engine (OSRM on OpenStreetMap data), measured from the ADO Terminal Turística at Fifth Avenue and Avenida Juárez. Times assume no traffic; add 20 to 30 percent, more in high season. The engine is slow on the inland Ruta de los Cenotes road, so treat 80 minutes as an upper guess.
Chaak Tun is a cave cenote on the north-west edge of Playa, about 12 minutes from the centre. Visits are guided, with a helmet and headlamp, and listings say admission includes snorkel gear. We found no official site and the published hours disagree, so book or call ahead.
Río Secreto is a guided walk-and-swim through an underground river, 8 km from the centre off Highway 307. In October 2026 its own site listed USD 89 admission for independent visitors and USD 119 with Riviera Maya transport. The rules are strict:
The water is 22 to 24 °C, the operator says, so the wetsuit is welcome.
These three open cenotes sit close together beside Highway 307 near Xpu-Ha and Puerto Aventuras, about 25 km south of Playa. It is the easiest cenote trip from Playa without a tour: one colectivo ride, three swims within a short walk or drive of each other.
None of the three publishes a current price online, and the figures in older guides are not from 2026. Pay cash at the gate.
The Ruta de los Cenotes is a road that runs about 35 km inland from just outside Puerto Morelos toward Leona Vicario, with cenote parks along it. Puerto Morelos is north of Playa, so allow about an hour or more each way by car. The Mexican Caribbean tourism portal lists:
Verde Lucero is about 20 km from Puerto Morelos, Por Esto says. We found no public transport along the route, so plan on a car, taxi or tour.
Past Akumal, about 50 km from Playa, you reach the cenotes this site covers in detail:
Gran Cenote and Cenote Calavera are just past Tulum town, about 65 km from Playa. If you are staying in Playa, Tulum is an hour away by colectivo, and the Tulum cenote map shows where each one sits on the road.
Colectivo. Shared vans run between Playa del Carmen and Tulum along Highway 307, from the stop on Calle 2. The full ride costs about MXN 60 and takes about an hour, and drivers will stop at cenote entrances on request. It works for Azul, Cristalino, Jardín del Edén, Dos Ojos and Casa Tortuga, though the walk from the highway to the water can be long at Dos Ojos.
Car or taxi. Needed for the Ruta de los Cenotes and handy for combining several stops in one day.
Tour. Our pick is a buggy tour from Playa with a cenote swim. For the Tulum-area cenotes, the Casa Tortuga and Dos Ojos tickets below let you go at your own pace, and the private Sac Actun tour picks up in Playa. See all options on our tours page.
Cenotes ask you to shower first and skip sunscreen and insect repellent. Bring cash pesos, a towel and water shoes. The cenote swimming guide covers the rules, and cenote entrance fees has the latest prices we found. For the bigger picture, start at the Tulum cenotes homepage.
3 hours
Drive a 4WD buggy along jungle tracks outside Playa del Carmen and cool off with a snorkel in a cenote; a Playa-based alternative to the Tulum ATV tours.
Pickup: Playa del Carmen
from$105
Check availability1 day
Entry to the Casa Tortuga cenote park with a 90-minute guided swim through three open and two semi-open cenotes, then free time until closing; higher passes add a zip line and lunch.
No pickup: meet on site
from$26
Check availability1 day
A self-guided admission ticket to both linked basins of Dos Ojos with a life jacket, for people who want to swim the famous cavern at their own pace.
No pickup: meet on site
from$43
Check availability5 hours
A private car tour to two very different cenotes, Xunaan Ha and Sac Actun, one a cave and one open to the sky, with a regional meal before the drive back.
Pickup: Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos or Puerto Aventuras
from$189
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Cenote Chaak Tun, a cave cenote on the north-west edge of town about 6 km by road from the ADO terminal on Fifth Avenue, roughly 12 minutes by car. You visit it with a guide, helmet and headlamp. Río Secreto, an underground river park, is about 8 km away. For an open-air swim, the nearest group is Azul, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén, about 25 km south.
Yes. Colectivos, shared vans that run between Playa del Carmen and Tulum along Highway 307, will drop you at cenote entrances on the way. The full ride to Tulum costs about MXN 60; tell the driver your stop and ask the fare. For the Ruta de los Cenotes inland from Puerto Morelos you need a car, taxi or tour.
Cenote Azul and Cenote Cristalino, side by side about 25 km south. Both are open-air pools with shallow areas, and Por Esto describes Azul's shallow zones as good for families. Cristalino has a small jump platform for older children. On the Ruta de los Cenotes, the Mexican Caribbean portal describes Las Mojarras as a large open cenote suited to families.
Río Secreto lists USD 89 for independent visitors (October 2026). Most of the swimming cenotes are run by ejidos or private owners and don't publish prices online, so the board at the gate is the authority. Bring cash pesos, since many gates don't take cards. Our cenote entrance fees guide collects the 2026 figures for the cenotes between Playa and Tulum.
It depends which cenotes you want. Playa is closer to Río Secreto, Chaak Tun and the Ruta de los Cenotes. Azul, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén sit roughly halfway, about 25 km from Playa and 40 km from Tulum. Tulum is much closer to Gran Cenote, Calavera, Casa Cenote and Dos Ojos, most within half an hour of town.
This Cenote Azul is an open cenote of clear, shallow pools beside Highway 307 at Xpu-Ha, near Puerto Aventuras, about 40 km north of Tulum.
Cenote Cristalino is an open, mostly shallow cenote beside Highway 307 at Xpu-Ha, about 40 km north of Tulum and next to Cenote Azul.
Cenote Jardín del Edén, also called Ponderosa, is a large open cenote off Highway 307 about 3 km from Puerto Aventuras and 40 km north of Tulum.
Cenote Dos Ojos, the two eyes cenote, is a pair of cenotes joined by a large cavern in Parque Dos Ojos, about 22 km north of Tulum off Highway 307.